People who know my story of living with chronic pain since childhood often ask how I cope and how do I keep going. The answer is simple. I learn as much as I can all of the time. I research, ask questions and am always on the lookout for things that give me information about pain, any kind of pain and any kind of pain condition.

I’ve found the best ideas for managing chronic health issues when I’ve gone outside of the box. Sure I have EDS (Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome) and it may seem logical to search out EDS specialists and EDS specific treatments. That is inside of the box thinking. Instead I look to my friends with ALS, MS, cancer, CRPS, or a broken leg to learn about their pain journey and any treatments they find useful.From my grandmother and mother I learned that soaking my feet in a warm epsom salt bath for 20-30 months does more to relieve pain and spasms than most pills. From my friend with ALS, I’ve learned that just thinking about my body’s alignment and making a subtle change (or asking for help to shift) in position will relieve all kinds of pressure/gravity/nerve pain quickly.

It has been my own life experience that if I keep up with my exercises and am mindful of my body, I will minimize the number of injuries I have to endure each day. Thus I share with you the information below about physical therapy in the hopes that a presentation like this might give you a new tip, trick or tool to manage your own pain.

EDNF is presenting a live webinar with Kathryn Lister, DPT, OCS, CLT, “Intelligent Exercise — How You Can Take Control With EDS” on Wednesday, October 28, 2015, 7:00–9:00pm ET. This webinar is tailored for patients and family members interested in learning more about EDS, but all are welcome. More information is on our website at http://www.ednf.org/webinars. To participate in the webinar, please reserve your free access code at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/regist…/2101321021983955201.